Don’t forget!

Regular Community Farm workdays are held every month

on the 2nd Saturday and the 4th Sunday

10.00am – 3.00pm…

……and it’s not all work………we have a  Shared Lunch (bring what you like) and cups of tea on tap…..lots of chat – get to know someone new?……..A good social gathering interspersed with shared growing, sowing, weeding, watering, feeding hens, getting some exercise, planning our next project, a share in the harvest……. and lots more. What could be better!

Why not come down and join in!

(You’ll find us behind Parkway Farm Business Centre and Weymouth College Skills Centre off Middle Farm Way, Poundbury)

The next farm workday will be on Sunday 29th January….yes, I know that’s the 5th Sunday this month, but we’ve had to rearrange to avoid having two in a row….. it’s 10-ish until 3-ish with shared lunch in the middle.

Lots to do, so hope you can come!

Underlanche Community Farm was given a mention in a talk given a while ago by Rob Hopkins at the 2011 Tagore Festival held at Dartington.  You’ll find it 24 minutes into the video which is called :

‘Transition as Cookery: my presentation at the 2011 Tagore Festival’

In today’s post on Transition Culture, Rob says “A couple of months ago I did a talk at the Tagore Festival at Dartington which eschewed Powerpoint and used objects sent in by Transition groups to tell the
story of how Transition unfolds.  I really enjoyed it.”  Here it is:

http://youtu.be/6XSykiCewdc

Come and have a look!

We’re getting on!

Our next workday is this Sunday the 22nd of May.

Shared Lunch (bring what you like) and cups of tea on tap.

A good social gathering interspersed with some work. What could be better!

Ian

Come and help put the polytunnel up! – It’s your farm!

Need a little help finding us!

The Under Lanche Community Farm for Dorchester and Poundbury residents is here:

View Under Lanche Community Farm in a larger map

It’s your farm!

Come and help put the greenhouse up, plant an apple tree or a fruit bush or help finish the raised beds. The big push is on to get everything sorted for Spring Planting!

Saturday April 9th from 10 am on…. We will have a shared lunch so we can have lunch there and continue the work so bring something along!

Follow us on twitter: @UnderLancheFarm

The next planning meeting is at Tom Brown`s this Thursday. We need to discuss future workdays, progress on current projects and the arrival of our polytunnel! All welcome

Today, Sunday March 6th, four of us went on a factfinding mission to Tatnam Organic Patch in Poole, a “thriving community organic allotment, and an urban haven for wildlife, with many plants and trees introduced to raise the biodiversity.” We were made very welcome and shown round by Mark, who works as a gardener and is very keen and knowledgeable on wildlife – he was able to tell us all the species of butterflies which visit the plot and what their food plants were. He is also a keen forager and we nibbled a variety of hedgerow plants as we wandered around, the favourite being allium triquetrum which tastes like a garlicky leek. Unfortunately it is very invasive and a non-native species so we will have to think carefully about planting it.

Mike and Judy got some good advice on ponds – theirs has a butyl liner, is lined with the fibre we have been contemplating, and is fed the overflow from their water collection system. While I chatted about parsnips and the joys of sociable gardening with some volunteers, the others were shown round the greenhouse with its impressive plumbing. Rainwater harvesting is their only source of water and they have an ingenious system of hydroponics and many water containers inside and out.

They have many of the features we are planning – ponds, bees, raised beds, fruit trees, herb beds, compost area etc. It is all very relaxed and has a friendly feel. The place seems to be run on a shoestring, many things, including their large greenhouse, have been donated, they have a large fenced area where they store donations and it was pretty full, with pots, timber, windows and miscellaneous other stuff. They have an earth closet, which they say is no bother to tend and water is boiled in a storm kettle for tea – we were advised to bring our own mugs and enjoyed a hot cuppa before we set off for home with many things to mull over. Look them up here www.tatnampatch.org.uk

Come along to the next Farm meeting at 7.30pm this Thursday, 10th March in Tom Brown`s to hear more about it and help us plan what to do next on our patch.

Didn't get to tell it all last time so here's some extras. The Pond has been dug - but not quite as planned. It was decided by the Wildlife Team that a slightly* different arrangement would be more beneficial to wildlife and be a little more aesthetically pleasing. The main pond has been moved south about 10 feet and made about 50% bigger than originally planned. And there will now be a properly excavated runoff (which will be lined and seeded as a 'marginal' area) leading into a lower pond about 1/3 the size of the upper one. I'll get Mike to sketch the new arrangement so it can be posted. I think it'll improve that aspect of the project significantly. Work on the chicken house has been suspended until freezing weather is less likely as any foundations for the building need to set normally. We now have a Twitter account. If you Tweet then follow us at @UnderLancheFarm * I understate it a little :) Ian